


Steadily Emerging with Grace

by SlasherFiend



Category: Supernatural
Genre: Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Beating, Emotional Hurt, Hopeful Ending, M/M, Mind Games, Post-Episode: s13e17 The Thing, Torture, Whump, sabriel if you squint, spoilers for Episode: s13e18 Bring 'em Back Alive, the dog dies
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-04-08
Updated: 2018-04-08
Packaged: 2019-04-20 07:39:10
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,403
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/14256132
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/SlasherFiend/pseuds/SlasherFiend
Summary: What Gabriel went through before Ketch rescued him and why he was so scared.





	Steadily Emerging with Grace

**Author's Note:**

> Basically an excuse for me to write awful things happening to Gabriel? Yup.
> 
> Head the tags, I gave him a dog and well it didn't make it, so heads up.
> 
> Also it's been four years since I wrote a SPN fic, I'm probably rusty and I wrote this in two days.

It had been relatively easy hiding incognito, masking himself against all the other angels with some trickster magic and keeping his grace on low power. He didn’t want anyone trying to find him till the whole Apocalypse thing blew over.

 

He had nothing to say about the whole Leviathan business.

 

It turned out to be a good idea to hide because when all the other angels fell, Gabriel was already on the same power level.

 

He spent his time pulling pranks on people, mostly harmless ones so he wouldn’t attract attention.

 

He watched the Winchesters from afar, listening to the other angels talk, discuss Castiel, then Lucifer.

 

Gabriel had felt a tug on his power, the bond he shared with Lucifer and Michael ignited when Lucifer was let out of the cage.

 

But then everything had gone to Hell.

 

Gabriel knew he should have figured the last of Luci’s lieutenants would step up once their king was free, but he hadn’t expected any of them to find him.

 

Gabriel had a place to himself in the suburbs, because who wouldn’t want to mess with soccer moms at PTA meetings? His Corgi had a fenced yard and Gabriel liked hearing the stubby little thing run to the door when he came home.

 

Except one night the Corgi wasn’t at the door to great him. And the house was dark. Dread slowly crept through Gabriel as he tip toed to the back yard, where the dog house was.

 

A man in a white suit stood with his back to Gabriel, facing the dog house. “So this is where you’ve been hiding. Seems too good to be true.”

 

Gabriel could see the demon inside the man, the yellow eyes and twisted face. “If you’re here because of Lucifer, I don’t want anything to do with him. If you’re here to sell me chicken then you could have at least used the front door.”

 

The demon turned and smiled. “Lord Lucifer is currently indisposed and Hell don’t know that I’m here. No one does.” He advanced on Gabriel, but Gabriel stood his ground.

 

“Didn’t know demons stalked people now. Are you that bored?”

 

The demon laughed. “This is a house call of my own making.”

 

Gabriel didn’t like what that implied.

 

He didn’t like fighting, didn’t like doing what the Winchesters did, but he had to protect himself and his dog. He dropped his blade into his hand and swung at the demon.

 

The demon stepped back away from the tip. “Didn’t think you were much of a fighter.”

 

“Circumstances and all that.” Gabriel spread himself into an illusion and circled around behind the demon.

 

The demon was weak, well as weak as a lieutenant only just coming out of the shadows could be.

 

Gabriel went to stab the demon, but it spun, so he ducked and sliced it in the hamstrings, illusion vanishing in a puff of smoke.

 

The demon cried out and growled, lunging for him. This would be easy.

 

Gabriel made to stab down, when the demon turned, eyes glowing and grabbed the blade. He stood, turning the blade back on Gabriel.

 

Gabriel moved before he could be stabbed, but the tip nicked him in the arm and he bled grace. Gabriel hissed and stepped back.

 

The demon panted, limping as they circled each other.

 

The spilled grace started to evaporate when the demon stumbled, falling to its knees and the grace seeped into its veins.

 

Gabriel’s eyes widened and the demon groaned, standing on its feet, cut healing.

 

This was bad. Gabriel made to leave, disappear on the other side of the Earth, when the demon threw him into the fence.

 

Gabriel hit the ground and got up, leaning on the splintered fence. He figured the only way to get this demon to stop would be a power move. He let the grace flow through him, his eyes lit up, his golden wings extended from his back.

 

The demon shielded his eyes and Gabriel stretched out a hand, to smite him.

 

Then Gabriel cried out as his blade was driven into his wing. He hadn’t realized he had dropped it. The light faded and Gabriel collapsed on his side.

 

The demon approached and ripped the blade from Gabriel’s wing. “I might have just found the solution to appeasing Lucifer.”

 

Gabriel stared up at the demon, panting before a light engulfed him.

 

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

 

Gabriel awoke in a cell, his clothes had been taken and a robe replaced them, sitting on the side of his bench that also served as a cot. Gabriel snorted and rotated his shoulders, working out some pins and needles. He sat there for some time, drumming his fingers on the bench.

 

The door creaked open and the yellow eyed demon came in, closing the door behind him. He sneered at Gabriel’s naked body. “Put that on.”

 

“Why?” Gabriel arched an eyebrow.

 

“Because you’re not getting anything else to wear.”

 

“Like it matters, this is just a vessel.”

 

“A vessel that you knit to yourself.”

 

Gabriel crossed his arms over his chest. “Why didn’t you kill me? Why not let Luci take me out?”

 

“Lucifer has other matters to deal with and you don’t need to know why you’re here. Now put that on!”

 

“Make me.”

 

The demon back handed Gabriel and stormed out of the cell.

 

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

 

Gabriel couldn’t just poof out of the cell, he found it was warded and with his injured wing, it wasn’t like he would get far. He missed his candy though and lounged on the bench.

 

He must have drifted off because he woke with a start when he heard barking. It couldn’t be.

 

Gabriel put the robe on and went to the cell door. The viewing hatch slid open and he saw the yellow eyed demon holding his Corgi in his arm.

 

One of the demon’s eyes was twitching. “You will give me your grace.”

 

“Give me my dog.”

 

The door opened and the demon came inside.

 

Gabriel backed up and his dog was shoved into his arms.

 

The demon pulled a syringe from his pocket.

 

Gabriel eyed it warily.

 

“Hold still.” The demon moved forward and stuck Gabriel in the neck with the syringe.

 

Gabriel gasped, then groaned as his grace was drained.

 

The demon smirked and then stuck the syringe into his arm. “That’s better.” He slammed Gabriel into the back wall with a flick of his hand.

 

Gabriel groaned and dropped his dog, who yipped and scampered out of the cell.

 

The demon hummed. “Well this has been a mighty interesting session.” He turned and left.

 

Gabriel slumped to the bench and rubbed his sore shoulder.

 

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

 

Time passed.

 

Gabriel ignored how hungry he was, his vessel lost weight.

 

Then the demon came back to stick the syringe in him.

 

Gabriel grunted as he was drained, “Does Lucifer know what you’re doing? I’m sure ol daddy dearest would be quite upset to know you’re just cheating and taking borrowed tricks.”

 

The demon drained the grace into his body and leveled his gaze at Gabriel. “Are you sassin’ me?”

 

Gabriel chuckled. “I haven’t begun to sass you.”

 

“Well somethin’s going to have to be done about that.” The demon snapped his fingers and Gabriel’s blade appeared in his hands.

 

Gabriel was thrown into the wall and the demon came over, slicing along his cheek.

 

Gabriel cried out.

 

The demon grinned, all sharp teeth. “Why don’t you show me your pretty wings again?”

 

“Why don’t you get off Lucifer’s dick for a second and tell me what’s going on here?”

 

The demon paused and stepped back. “What did I just say?”

 

“Seems you didn’t hear me either.” Gabriel pulled at the robe as it tried to slide down his shoulder.

 

“Let’s try this then.” The demon snapped his fingers and Gabriel’s Corgi settled into his arms.

 

“What are you-?”

 

“Now where were we? Oh yes...” The demon snapped the Corgi’s neck and dropped the body on the floor.

 

“No!” Gabriel dropped to his knees, about to bring the dog back when he was kicked in the chin and pinned to the floor under the demon’s shoe.

 

“Don’t you ever sass me again. You’re here to lend me your grace so I can be beneficial to Lucifer.”

 

“Your daddy issues really have gotten out of hand,” Gabriel choked out.

 

The demon snarled and tossed Gabriel into the roof before leaving.

 

Gabriel pulled himself up on to his hands and knees. Everything hurt.

 

He put a hand on his dog and concentrated. All he managed to do was transport the body to an unmarked grave.

 

Gabriel leaned back against the bench and panted, he felt weak.

 

The demon needed to be stopped.

 

~~~~~~~~~~~

 

The demon came back to drain Gabriel again and again, but then finally let him have some peace.

 

Apparently Lucifer had a kid and things were getting shaken up in Hell.

 

Gabriel used that time to plot an escape. He was only going to get weaker and he would be in no shape to take on the yellow eyed bastard if this kept going like it did.

 

The demon was having Gabriel brought to the throne room now that Hell was in a kerfuffle and lots of people came in and out of it.

 

As soon as Gabriel was led in, he elbowed the demon who was holding him and sprinted to where his blade lay.

 

The yellow eyed demon got there first and grabbed Gabriel by the throat. He picked Gabriel off the floor and tossed the blade aside. “Just what do you think you’re doing?”

 

Gabriel struggled to pry the fingers off his airway.

 

“I thought you had learned your lesson.”

 

Gabriel was tossed into a table, smashing it. He groaned and went to pick himself up.

 

The demon was there, holding his head up by his hair and raining punches down on Gabriel.

 

Gabriel’s nose broke and bled, splinters embedded in his cheek. The blows kept coming and Gabriel’s eye started to swell. Then he felt a shoe connect with his ribs, something cracked. He held out a hand, trying to speak but the demon wasn’t finished.

 

“You know what the problem is here? Your objections. You keep sassin me and it’s starting to get on my nerves. You’re here for one purpose only. You’re not here to lip off.” The demon rolled Gabriel onto his back and snapped his fingers. A needle with thread appeared.

 

Gabriel’s eye widened and he tried to push himself away from the demon.

 

The demon grinned, black sockets where his yellow eyes sat bored into Gabriel’s golden eyes as he leaned down. He stabbed the needle through Gabriel’s lips and he screamed.

 

Gabriel clawed at the demon and tried to push him off, push him away, but he kept going.

 

Soon Gabriel’s screams were just muffled shouts under four stitches.

 

“There.” The demon healed Gabriel’s ribs and eye before getting up and fixing his suit. He huffed when he saw the blood on it. He called for someone less useless to take Gabriel back to his cell.

 

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

 

Gabriel sat with his thoughts on the bench, listening to the faint whispers of angel radio, listening to what his brothers and sisters were saying. They talked of Lucifer’s son, the nephilim.

 

That’s all Gabriel heard for a long time, his head rattled with Enochian and he felt dizzy as the demon came to get more grace.

 

Gabriel curled up in a ball on his bench. Then he heard a voice.

 

It was Lucifer.

 

Gabriel sat up and scampered to the door before it opened. Gabriel felt a rush of elation and terror as he gazed at Lucifer.

 

Lucifer smiled. “Hey bro.”

 

Gabriel pleaded, pawing at Lucifer, even though Lucifer drew back.

 

“I heard you’re giving Asmodeus a hard time. What’s with that?”

 

Gabriel froze.

 

“It’s better than being dead right? Just let him take your grace, stop making a fuss.”

 

Gabriel shook his head, tears in his eyes.

 

Lucifer rolled his eyes. “You better behave or they’ll send me in here to deal with you and, well...” Lucifer shrugged. “It would have to be convincing.”

 

Gabriel clutched at Lucifer, tears rolling down his face.

 

“Now, see isn’t it better when you cooperate?” Lucifer’s voice deepened and he shifted into the demon-into Asmodeus.

 

All Gabriel heard was his laugh before everything spiraled.

 

Everything mixed and blurred into a blend of beatings if he got out of line for some slight or another, the drainings, and a concoction of ‘people’ coming to see him.

 

Asmodeus’ range started with Lucifer, went to Michael, even Sam, and Castiel.

 

Michael’s illusion was insane, bursting in with a flurry of wings and tormenting Gabriel to make him scream before realizing he was wrong and then just laughing as Asmodeus walked out, satisfied with Gabriel’s shaking terror. Sam had wanted to break Gabriel’s bones, since he more human before Asmodeus healed them. He refused to heal Gabriel’s other wounds for some reason. Castiel at least was a predictable escape attempt, coming in and pulling Gabriel out of the cell.

 

Gabriel glanced around for guards, sure something was wrong, that something was going to happen.

 

They ducked into the throne room when some demons came by and Castiel went to do something with the arch angel blade.

 

Gabriel noticed a tiny cage and didn’t like it. He could feel residue from Lucifer in it, actual Lucifer and not an illusion.

 

Suddenly the door was opened and he was pushed in. He turned to see Castiel get tackled and torn apart by Hell hounds.

 

They barked and snarled at Gabriel, who tried to kick at them, getting his foot caught in one of their mouths.

 

He screamed and wrenched his foot away.

 

The hounds padded off after some time and Gabriel sobbed. He wasn’t surprised when Castiel faded and Asmodeus strolled in later.

 

He gazed at Gabriel, but said nothing, left Gabriel in the cage for a whole day.

 

When Asmodeus came back the next day with a twitching eye and stern expression, he yanked Gabriel out of the cage by his bad foot, despite Gabriel trying to cling to the walls and the syringe was plunged into his neck.

 

After Asmodeus flexed his hands, experimenting with the renewal of his stolen powers, he put a hand on Gabriel’s shoulder. “You know, this would be a lot easier if you didn’t fight me. I can be gentle too you know.” He squeezed Gabriel’s shoulder so he whimpered. “Just do what I say and you’ll be left in peace.”

 

Gabriel took the deal, nodding, and his foot was healed.

 

The days kept coming and he just let Asmodeus take his grace, left for the most part to his thoughts and the whispers of the other angels. He shut down, it was easier to handle what was going on. Better to be passive then dead, even though he knew by now he wasn’t going to be killed.

 

~~~~~~~~~~~~

 

Nothing changed and he knew eventually he would be human, totally drained of his grace and then he would finally die. It would be a sweet release.

 

But then he heard a commotion outside his cell, snapping him from his thoughts. Someone shouting, it sounded like Lucifer, and was that Castiel?

 

Gabriel went to his door, calling out to them, fingers going to tug at the stitches in his lips, despite the blood oozing down.

 

His brothers were shut in and talked, bickering, and Gabriel slid down the door, bloody hand pressed to the metal as he cried.

 

~~~~~~~~~~~~

 

Asmodeus had Gabriel brought to the throne room, pushed to sit so the demon could tower over him as he stuck the syringe in. “Isn’t this better? Now that you’re docile, this will go so much quicker.”

 

This one hurt, Gabriel was grasping at the last remains of his power. He whimpered, he couldn’t help it.

 

“Almost done.” Asmodeus patted Gabriel on the back.

 

Gabriel hated him being nice more than cruel. A demon being cruel and predictable was expected. A demon being nice and inviting was unpredictable and would lash out. Gabriel didn’t want to be at the end of another beating.

 

As Asmodeus pumped the grace into his arm, the doors opened and a British man entered.

 

Gabriel’s eyes widened. No one interrupted Asmodeus when he had his sessions.

 

“Bad time?” The British man looked eyes with Gabriel, who pleaded for him to leave.

 

Asmodeus took a hard step towards the British man and Gabriel flinched away, whimpering loudly, sure he was going to be hit.

 

It seemed Asmodeus had a new target and Gabriel was thankful for that, to be put in the cage on the other side of the room. He half listened to Asmodeus and the British man talk, until it got heated.

 

The British man was challenging Asmodeus. That was a bad idea.

 

The words “I own you” stuck in Gabriel’s head. He was owned, only to be used for his power before withering and dying, owned forever, a dog to come lick his master’s heels...

 

The British man pulled at a tooth, spitting blood on the floor.

 

Gabriel moved to the door, staring. The man was tougher than he seemed.

 

“What are you looking at?”

 

Gabriel assessed the man, he could see the wheels turning in his head.

 

“If I had half your power...” He got up and went to the other side of the room.

 

Gabriel sat back, nothing good came from the other side of the room.

 

The British man stalked back towards the cage with the blade in hand and Gabriel inched further back, it was Asmodeus, he had had enough, he was going to kill him!

 

The man opened the cage and reached for Gabriel.

 

Gabriel protested and fought. This was going to end badly, it would never work! He couldn’t leave, he shouldn’t leave. What was there for him anyway? Asmodeus would find them, it didn’t matter what they did!

 

But the British man huffed and dragged Gabriel along, out into the world again.

 

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

 

Gabriel didn’t know where they were or why, he barely trusted the man. He was sure this was just another illusion.

 

Gabriel sat down and blinked at Sam and Dean Winchester. More illusions. The angels were louder now, talking about Lucifer in Heaven? Was Heaven open?

 

“We need his grace.”

 

Gabriel panicked, he knew it! It was fake, all a lie! No, he had to get out of here!

 

“Calm down!” The British man grabbed Gabriel by the shoulders. “Calm down!”

 

Gabriel breathed and his eyes widened as he saw the British man pull out a vial of his grace. When had he grabbed that?

 

But Gabriel went back to listening to the other angels. Maybe this illusion would last longer. A plan to test his dependence?

 

Whatever the illusions were talking about was strange and chaotic, but it was in tune with the Winchesters, they had been researched.

 

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

 

Sam took Gabriel into the next room, turning the lights on and sat him down.

 

Gabriel didn’t even flinch when Sam pulled out a pocket knife. Just adding to the other wounds on his face.

 

Sam grimaced as he cut the stitches on Gabriel’s lips.

 

Gabriel squeezed an eye shut and whimpered as the stitches tugged before he moved his mouth slightly when they were free. That was so nice of the illusion, just like the real Sam.

 

After a typical brotherly argument Sam took Gabriel into a bedroom.

 

Gabriel passed by a mirror, saw his reflection and suddenly something burst out of him, plastering Enochian onto the walls.

 

An alarm went off, blaring and Gabriel scrambled onto the bed.

 

The door opened and Castiel and Sam entered.

 

“What is this?” Sam looked around.

 

"I don’t know,” Castiel said before turning to Gabriel.

 

The alarm stopped and Gabriel calmed down.

 

Castiel came in, eyes scanning the letters before going over and putting a hand on Gabriel’s shoulder.

 

Gabriel gasped, he could feel the power behind the touch, this was real. “Sam?”

 

“Yeah, hey...” Sam pulled up a chair and sat near the bed.

 

Gabriel turned. “Castiel, I-” He coughed, his voice sore. “I heard you. What are you doing here?”

 

“It’s a long story.”

 

“What about you? What happened? Cas told us you had died.”

 

Gabriel pulled his knees up to his chest. “That’s also a long story.”

 

Sam leaned back in the chair. “It’s ok, I’ve got time.”

**Author's Note:**

> I'm shipperfiendobssesser on tumblr and I still don't know how to get links to work here.


End file.
